Europe will have to act and improvise to support Ukraine just as Britain did at the beginning of WWII.
Germany under Mers must contribute air defense to the Ukrainians and ranged, precision missiles, among other things.
In the meantime, America must rescue itself from the mass ignorance that has re-elected Trump and Republicans must develop the spine to help form the “critical mass” Meriden refers to above to resist and remove Trump.
I agree that the people have to start pressuring Republicans to remove Trump. The destruction of our government is way beyond what he did in his first term, or anything we've experienced in our history.
No chance. In January 2021 some Republicans in the House privately admitted that they voted against the impeachment because they were afraid for their lives. Are they less afraid now that Trump pardoned all insurrectionists?!
The illusion that Europe can't make a go without daddy U.S. has not been destroyed. If we think this we are living in our own illusion. I was actually shocked last week at Starmer's timidity and obsequiousness. Macron showed a bit of repressed rebelliousness, but his bottom line was also "please sir may I have another." The parsimonious defense spending plans announced by both governments remove all doubt that they are dug-in on the path of least resistance.
I sampled commentary from several former diplomats and well respected foreign policy pooh-bahs after yesterday's cage match. They were all shocked and appalled. Yet they all said that we have to find a way to fix the "peace" process and work through the U.S.. They think this is the voice of the adults in the room.
I AM NOT BEING DEFEATEST. Phillips wrote a great essay here. Nails it. But we're the choir. We might win this argument, certainly yesterday is pushing opinion strongly in our way. It is going to be a fight. The meltdown last night was not the equivalent of the U.S.'s Pearl Harbor. It will have to be a bottom-up movement because the elites seem hopelessly scared of the political and practical risks of going alone.
Having seen 10 Downing St's statement yesterday evening, I'd say the UK *still* deceives itself about the special realtionship. Just the usual "diplomatic" non-speak, no public equivocal support for Zelenskyy. I would hope at the very least the UK cannot find a diary slot for Trump's 2nd state visit.
I completely agree. Starmer could not bring himself to say anything last nght, unlike almost everyone else in the democratic world. It reminds me of his comment about "only the USA can guarantee a Ukranian peace." He has to step up to the plate and if he thinks he got away with protecting the UK with his visit the other day, then he is sorely mistaken, I would think. Trump will turn on him whenever it suits.
We're going to have to act well before elections. Everything Trump is doing is highly illegal, starting with squatting in the Oval Office -- he's banned from office by the 14th amendment section 3, period. The problem is basically getting a critical mass of Congress and/or governors to consensus that he has to be removed.
Absolutely--everything must be done to protect the integrity of those and all future elections. That is the only way to start taking back the US government--but in terms of a part of the government, that cant happen until the 2026 midterms.
Yes, can't wait for the next elections in the naive belief that they will be free and fair. I was going to say the other shoe hasn't dropped, next year we will start to see action to cheat in the elections.... but in fact the shoe dropped already. News flash: the government experts working to prevent Russian interference with US computers, including, duh, interfering with our elections, have been told to stand down. Uh-oh.
Credits for Zelensky for keeping his cool and speaking English in the White House (although suka blyat wasn't one of them). That is already a sign of respect for the president's office. English may be the lingua franca, but Europeans in general have the dignity and feel the urgence to learn several different languages. A sign of respect most Americans tend to forget.
The Europeans need to realize ASAP that we might do the same to a president or PM of a NATO member invoking Article 5. One can easily imagine Trump telling the Estonian PM that Narva has a mostly Russian population anyway, the Estonian language is very difficult to learn, and Estonia should have just made Russian a second official language before the protests started, but now they should just negotiate the end of the crisis with Putin. After all, thousands of Peter the Great's soldiers died taking Narva from Sweden three centuries ago.
Another thing that Europeans (and other NATO countries—Canada are you listening?) need to realize is that being in a military alliance with the US while Trump uses mafia-like bullying against other countries means that their militaries are in fact part of what Trump calls the “cards” in his hands that give power to his bullying.
He smells like the dumpster out back behind a McDonald's on a hot summer day. Did you see the gleam in his eye as he looked at photos of emaciated Ukrainian POWs? Slow down the video and you'll see it.
At the time I didn’t pick up on what you’re saying, but it makes sense. It all happened kind of fast. The transcript helps.
They wasted no time before laying into Zelenskyy, tag-teaming between the two of them - talking over him and upbraiding him like you might talk to a badly behaved child.
My immediate takeaway was that Trump was looking for a way to be able to tell Zelenskyy to take a hike, but I think I had only picked up on half of what was going on. As you said, they wanted to force a bad deal on Zelenskyy. Telling him to take a hike was always the plan if he wouldn’t knuckle under.
Was it really a surprise for them? OK, Trump may be delusional enough, but Vance is neither stupid nor ignorant. He probably was already aware that the biggest ceasefire violation before 2022 happened a week after Trump became president in 2017 (and the fighting died down only when Zelensky signed a new ceasefire with Putin, in person, in 2019). So JD should have fully expected that Zelensky would not necessarily trust Trump's assurances that Putin would not dare violate a ceasefire on his watch.
I hope you still have free elections in 2 years. The Organ playbook will be out by then I fear .
Just listening to Niall Ferguson on Sam Harris' podcast contort and abase himself to describe this all as 'realism' or particularly blunt 'real politik'. The spell does not appear to be broken for those who have dug the deepest holes in rationally the obvious corruption.
Entirely agree with everything you write, about Trump, Vance, the US and Europe.
Thanks for publishing the revealing written transcript of the exchange. From the outset, Trump wanted to put Zelensky, whose English is creditable but halting, at a big disadvantage by setting his own and Vance’s microphone at a higher volume than Zelensky’s and cutting in at every opportunity. The result is that what most people heard in the audio was only Trump and Vance.
The overall impression ressembles what Stalin’s show trials or the Nazi judges at the trial of the July 1944 conspirators must have been like. Dominated by a vituperating prosecution and with the forgone conclusion of a death penalty.
Shameful , shameful behaviour on the part of a great nation that has beaten a heroic leader into submission before throwing him out.
However this story goes on, Zelensky has the immense merit of being the first head of state to stand up to Trump and Vance and was perfectly clear in his interview with Fox News that he would not apologise.
The Europeans need to get serious now. First of all, seize frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. Then start fighting both Russian disinformation and US oligarch. Immediately block Twitter in Europe - until Musk completely divests. Just use Bluesky. Give Facebook (or rather Meta) an ultimatum. Threaten to block it in Europe in 72 hours (that would also give people a chance to download whatever they need), unless fact-checking is restored (with the participation of European media), not only for Russian propaganda and fake news but also for anti-vaccine propaganda, a serious effort to take down Russian bots is started, and Meta commits to a quick change (say, 30 days) of its algorithms causing radicalization (that matters for combating Islamic terrorism as well). If Meta refuses, than not only it will be blocked in Europe forever, but EU will offer billions in loans and subsidies for developing new social media. That will surely make Zuckerberg worry about following in the footsteps of MySpace.
Everybody could see all that already in 2015, with the way Trump was talking about Putin. Then in early 2017 (before Trump was even sworn in) we found out that massive Russian intelligence operation likely played the decisive role in Trump's unexpected victory. Putin risked incurring Hillary's wrath. What for? Now we know exactly what he had in mind. But already back then we knew he wanted something, something big and bad.
Every time Trump, or his administration make clear their intent is to abandon a democracy struggling for its existence and cede to the demands of Putin Come Back Alive can have a bit more of my money (this could be an expensive month).
I remain disgusted but not surprised, Vance daring to lecture Europe about freedom of speech whilst aligning himself with the brutal Russian regime (good luck claiming first amendment rights under Putin) becomes an increasingly despicable act.
Thank you Phillips for your continued clear eyed and independent analysis of the situation.
I'm really curious how the mid-term elections will go if Trump / Musk continue sabotaging the entire "bureaucracy". But perhaps, that's the point? Rendering the country unable to hold fair elections is one heck of a way of staying in power!
Yes. That is their point. They're destroying the government and if we can ever rid ourselves of these vermin, I don't think we can put it back together again.
In the meantime we are vulnerable to the Russians and Chinese.
And this whole deal about rare earth was a sham. Trump offered a deal that was so offensive he knew that Zelensky would refuse. Then set up this kabuki meeting, got Zekensky to come here and berated him before the cameras, trying to show that Zelensky didn't want peace, hoping the Ukrainians would turn against him. Putin wants desperately to get rid of Zelensky, has tried multiple times to assassinate him, so Trump tries to demean him so that Putin can put a puppet in his place.
I have great admiration for Zelensky and as an. American. I am ashamed of my country and the people who voted this monster into office.
Not only that, but before stabbn Zelenskyy in the back he had the major European leaders come and pledge fealty. No doubt if Germany had not just had elections Scholz would have also have been summoned to prostrate before Trump
Most definitely. But we need to be prepared for Trump's coup in 2028 - he already keeps talking about a third term. Last time he left the White House at the end of his term only after attempting a coup. What makes us sure the next time will be different? His personnel changes in the military, the FBI and CIA?!
Is there a mechanism in the US to remove a president or an executive in extreme circumstances? For example, something like holding a vote of no confidence to force a resignation, or forcing a general election before the end of the term, as can happen in a typical European country? My fear is that to wait for the wheels if democracy to turn will be too late.
It was hours later, when everyone had left, that a White House aide remembered that Marco Rubio was still buried in the couch and went to help him out.
Europe will have to act and improvise to support Ukraine just as Britain did at the beginning of WWII.
Germany under Mers must contribute air defense to the Ukrainians and ranged, precision missiles, among other things.
In the meantime, America must rescue itself from the mass ignorance that has re-elected Trump and Republicans must develop the spine to help form the “critical mass” Meriden refers to above to resist and remove Trump.
Yep--Zelensky stoop up to Trump's bullying, now Europe must stand up for Ukraine.
I agree that the people have to start pressuring Republicans to remove Trump. The destruction of our government is way beyond what he did in his first term, or anything we've experienced in our history.
No chance. In January 2021 some Republicans in the House privately admitted that they voted against the impeachment because they were afraid for their lives. Are they less afraid now that Trump pardoned all insurrectionists?!
Besides, if Trump is removed we'll be left with Vance, who is arguably worse because he's smart.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The good thing is that this should destroy all the illusions that Europe and Ukraine might find a way to cooperate with the US
Indeed--its such a disaster that the illusions lasted as long as they did, but nothing can be one about that now.
The illusion that Europe can't make a go without daddy U.S. has not been destroyed. If we think this we are living in our own illusion. I was actually shocked last week at Starmer's timidity and obsequiousness. Macron showed a bit of repressed rebelliousness, but his bottom line was also "please sir may I have another." The parsimonious defense spending plans announced by both governments remove all doubt that they are dug-in on the path of least resistance.
I sampled commentary from several former diplomats and well respected foreign policy pooh-bahs after yesterday's cage match. They were all shocked and appalled. Yet they all said that we have to find a way to fix the "peace" process and work through the U.S.. They think this is the voice of the adults in the room.
I AM NOT BEING DEFEATEST. Phillips wrote a great essay here. Nails it. But we're the choir. We might win this argument, certainly yesterday is pushing opinion strongly in our way. It is going to be a fight. The meltdown last night was not the equivalent of the U.S.'s Pearl Harbor. It will have to be a bottom-up movement because the elites seem hopelessly scared of the political and practical risks of going alone.
I keep on hearing how we (Europe) can't manage without US military assistance - but no one really explains why.
It's time to step up - get troops ready to deploy. Get factories up and running for drones, ammo and missiles.
Can we get satellites up over easten Europe? Let's do it now in case starlink gets turned off.
Once countries accept they are in existential peril they figure a way out. Maybe that is the threshold.
I just read a fantastic piece on the long challenge Europe faces in its dependent relationship with the U.S. Trump does things, Europe talks.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-158062812
Phillips' previous post – on why Europe is putting up so shamefully with the abusive relationship the US imposes on it – is extremely relevant too !
Having seen 10 Downing St's statement yesterday evening, I'd say the UK *still* deceives itself about the special realtionship. Just the usual "diplomatic" non-speak, no public equivocal support for Zelenskyy. I would hope at the very least the UK cannot find a diary slot for Trump's 2nd state visit.
I completely agree. Starmer could not bring himself to say anything last nght, unlike almost everyone else in the democratic world. It reminds me of his comment about "only the USA can guarantee a Ukranian peace." He has to step up to the plate and if he thinks he got away with protecting the UK with his visit the other day, then he is sorely mistaken, I would think. Trump will turn on him whenever it suits.
We're going to have to act well before elections. Everything Trump is doing is highly illegal, starting with squatting in the Oval Office -- he's banned from office by the 14th amendment section 3, period. The problem is basically getting a critical mass of Congress and/or governors to consensus that he has to be removed.
Absolutely--everything must be done to protect the integrity of those and all future elections. That is the only way to start taking back the US government--but in terms of a part of the government, that cant happen until the 2026 midterms.
Can it happen in the midterms? "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members..."
Yes, can't wait for the next elections in the naive belief that they will be free and fair. I was going to say the other shoe hasn't dropped, next year we will start to see action to cheat in the elections.... but in fact the shoe dropped already. News flash: the government experts working to prevent Russian interference with US computers, including, duh, interfering with our elections, have been told to stand down. Uh-oh.
Credits for Zelensky for keeping his cool and speaking English in the White House (although suka blyat wasn't one of them). That is already a sign of respect for the president's office. English may be the lingua franca, but Europeans in general have the dignity and feel the urgence to learn several different languages. A sign of respect most Americans tend to forget.
Agree entirely
The berating of Zelenskyy made me want to puke. So condescending and insulting.
Trump is a walking pile of human garbage.
The Europeans need to realize ASAP that we might do the same to a president or PM of a NATO member invoking Article 5. One can easily imagine Trump telling the Estonian PM that Narva has a mostly Russian population anyway, the Estonian language is very difficult to learn, and Estonia should have just made Russian a second official language before the protests started, but now they should just negotiate the end of the crisis with Putin. After all, thousands of Peter the Great's soldiers died taking Narva from Sweden three centuries ago.
Another thing that Europeans (and other NATO countries—Canada are you listening?) need to realize is that being in a military alliance with the US while Trump uses mafia-like bullying against other countries means that their militaries are in fact part of what Trump calls the “cards” in his hands that give power to his bullying.
He smells like the dumpster out back behind a McDonald's on a hot summer day. Did you see the gleam in his eye as he looked at photos of emaciated Ukrainian POWs? Slow down the video and you'll see it.
At the time I didn’t pick up on what you’re saying, but it makes sense. It all happened kind of fast. The transcript helps.
They wasted no time before laying into Zelenskyy, tag-teaming between the two of them - talking over him and upbraiding him like you might talk to a badly behaved child.
My immediate takeaway was that Trump was looking for a way to be able to tell Zelenskyy to take a hike, but I think I had only picked up on half of what was going on. As you said, they wanted to force a bad deal on Zelenskyy. Telling him to take a hike was always the plan if he wouldn’t knuckle under.
Yep--the mention of the ceasefire at the end was a real tell. They were so angry that he would not do what they wanted
Was it really a surprise for them? OK, Trump may be delusional enough, but Vance is neither stupid nor ignorant. He probably was already aware that the biggest ceasefire violation before 2022 happened a week after Trump became president in 2017 (and the fighting died down only when Zelensky signed a new ceasefire with Putin, in person, in 2019). So JD should have fully expected that Zelensky would not necessarily trust Trump's assurances that Putin would not dare violate a ceasefire on his watch.
I hope you still have free elections in 2 years. The Organ playbook will be out by then I fear .
Just listening to Niall Ferguson on Sam Harris' podcast contort and abase himself to describe this all as 'realism' or particularly blunt 'real politik'. The spell does not appear to be broken for those who have dug the deepest holes in rationally the obvious corruption.
Ferguson--the same genius who was telling us that Trump would get a great deal for Ukraine and was basically a new Reagan. Ha!
And of course any ceasefire would be of great advantage to Putin and bad for Ukraine.
Entirely agree with everything you write, about Trump, Vance, the US and Europe.
Thanks for publishing the revealing written transcript of the exchange. From the outset, Trump wanted to put Zelensky, whose English is creditable but halting, at a big disadvantage by setting his own and Vance’s microphone at a higher volume than Zelensky’s and cutting in at every opportunity. The result is that what most people heard in the audio was only Trump and Vance.
The overall impression ressembles what Stalin’s show trials or the Nazi judges at the trial of the July 1944 conspirators must have been like. Dominated by a vituperating prosecution and with the forgone conclusion of a death penalty.
Shameful , shameful behaviour on the part of a great nation that has beaten a heroic leader into submission before throwing him out.
However this story goes on, Zelensky has the immense merit of being the first head of state to stand up to Trump and Vance and was perfectly clear in his interview with Fox News that he would not apologise.
Слава Україні! Героям слава !
(Hail to Ukraine! Hail to the heroes!)
The Europeans need to get serious now. First of all, seize frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. Then start fighting both Russian disinformation and US oligarch. Immediately block Twitter in Europe - until Musk completely divests. Just use Bluesky. Give Facebook (or rather Meta) an ultimatum. Threaten to block it in Europe in 72 hours (that would also give people a chance to download whatever they need), unless fact-checking is restored (with the participation of European media), not only for Russian propaganda and fake news but also for anti-vaccine propaganda, a serious effort to take down Russian bots is started, and Meta commits to a quick change (say, 30 days) of its algorithms causing radicalization (that matters for combating Islamic terrorism as well). If Meta refuses, than not only it will be blocked in Europe forever, but EU will offer billions in loans and subsidies for developing new social media. That will surely make Zuckerberg worry about following in the footsteps of MySpace.
Totally agree Andrew. I think this is an urgent action independent of world events. The US has a perverted view of regulation and free speech.
Well Phillips, it seems all your diagnoses of the Trump administration were correct and the mask is really off now.
Jacob, I dont think I had any special insight--I just didnt rose-color what I was seeing. This was always on the cards.
Everybody could see all that already in 2015, with the way Trump was talking about Putin. Then in early 2017 (before Trump was even sworn in) we found out that massive Russian intelligence operation likely played the decisive role in Trump's unexpected victory. Putin risked incurring Hillary's wrath. What for? Now we know exactly what he had in mind. But already back then we knew he wanted something, something big and bad.
How long before Trump directs US intelligence to start feeding information to the Russians to use against Ukraine?
not long
He certainly won't get any pushback from Tulsi Gabbard
I would think that would be a catastrophe for Ukraine.... the US would have complete knowledge of Ukraine's positions, equipment, and capabilities.
Phillips, if we ashamed Americans want to make charitable contributions to Ukraine, which ones do you recommend? Please send links.
Im a big supporter of Come Back Alive. Visited their offices in Ukraine--they do amazing work and spend nothing on themselves.
https://savelife.in.ua/en/
Thank you.
Every time Trump, or his administration make clear their intent is to abandon a democracy struggling for its existence and cede to the demands of Putin Come Back Alive can have a bit more of my money (this could be an expensive month).
I remain disgusted but not surprised, Vance daring to lecture Europe about freedom of speech whilst aligning himself with the brutal Russian regime (good luck claiming first amendment rights under Putin) becomes an increasingly despicable act.
Thank you Phillips for your continued clear eyed and independent analysis of the situation.
This sums it all up well from The Kyiv Independent -to the point with no reservations; no doubts
"Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky.
It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up."
I'm really curious how the mid-term elections will go if Trump / Musk continue sabotaging the entire "bureaucracy". But perhaps, that's the point? Rendering the country unable to hold fair elections is one heck of a way of staying in power!
Well, the elections are run by the states--thats a ray of hope
Yes. That is their point. They're destroying the government and if we can ever rid ourselves of these vermin, I don't think we can put it back together again.
In the meantime we are vulnerable to the Russians and Chinese.
And this whole deal about rare earth was a sham. Trump offered a deal that was so offensive he knew that Zelensky would refuse. Then set up this kabuki meeting, got Zekensky to come here and berated him before the cameras, trying to show that Zelensky didn't want peace, hoping the Ukrainians would turn against him. Putin wants desperately to get rid of Zelensky, has tried multiple times to assassinate him, so Trump tries to demean him so that Putin can put a puppet in his place.
I have great admiration for Zelensky and as an. American. I am ashamed of my country and the people who voted this monster into office.
Not only that, but before stabbn Zelenskyy in the back he had the major European leaders come and pledge fealty. No doubt if Germany had not just had elections Scholz would have also have been summoned to prostrate before Trump
Time for a coup d’etat in DC
no--this must be done democratically
Most definitely. But we need to be prepared for Trump's coup in 2028 - he already keeps talking about a third term. Last time he left the White House at the end of his term only after attempting a coup. What makes us sure the next time will be different? His personnel changes in the military, the FBI and CIA?!
Is there a mechanism in the US to remove a president or an executive in extreme circumstances? For example, something like holding a vote of no confidence to force a resignation, or forcing a general election before the end of the term, as can happen in a typical European country? My fear is that to wait for the wheels if democracy to turn will be too late.
Sure, I agree, it was more meant as a wake up call for the opposition
It was hours later, when everyone had left, that a White House aide remembered that Marco Rubio was still buried in the couch and went to help him out.